Doncaster Voices: Are we green enough ​or could we be more eco-friendly?

Published:19:59Thursday 12 April 2018

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If you want to get involved in DFP weekly Voices forum, submit 150 words, name, title & photo to barbara.craythorn@jpress.co.uk and your views may appear next week when the timely subject, approaching April 23 St George’s Day, are we too patriotic or not patriotic enough?

MARGARET HERBERT, DONCASTER RESIDENT

It would be great to see more green spaces in Doncaster but in comparison to other towns we have The Town Fields, The Race Course, Sandall Park, and several other large Parks. It would be nice to see green spaces in the town area but unfortunately there seems to be a certain element that are determined to destroy these. Regent Square is a very pleasant area to sit but would be better if the railings were reinstated once more to prevent litter being thrown over the

existing small wall. Richard Bell has done a great job with Hyde Park Cemetery with new planting and replacing the railings. The Council have planted wild flowers on many of the verges and on Leger Way. I would like to see more planting on Hallcross Hill area where there are still many trees but very few flowers. So yes, I think Doncaster generally does try to be eco-green friendly.

LAURA ANDREW, DONCASTER RESIDENT

Doncaster and the surrounding areas are synonymous with the coal industry. Many towns and villages have a strong heritage of mining a source of energy which helped to power the country for many decades. I myself have family from Goldthorpe and Barnburgh who are extremely proud of their past. It is easy to see why that they might not be open to the idea of renewable energy such as wind turbines and solar panels. But I think that Doncaster should move past this, coal may be an important part of out history but the effect that non-renewable energy has on the environment is detrimental. It would be great for the town to invest more in greener power as not only would this be great for the environment but also the youth who are growing up in what still feels an industrial town.

DARREN BURKE, JOURNALIST & DONCASTER RESIDENT

I can clearly recall the outcry when local councils told householders they’d have to start sorting their rubbish out for recycling. Now, separating our plastic bottles, tins and papers is second nature and in our house, there’s always a steady stream of bottles and cardboard boxes ready to be slung in the appropriate box, bin or bag. But I know I could do far better in so many other areas when it comes to being greener. I still buy food packaged in stacks of plastic which goes to waste - and I’ll be honest, that’s purely for convenience more than anything. A trip to the dumpit site now entails all manner of skips to fling your rubbish in - and while it might be a bit more time consuming, at least you know you are doing your bit for the environment. But Doncaster, like anywhere, still has a long way to go to truly achieve its green credentials - and that means all of us making a bit more effort.

DAVID Aunins, centre manager for Lakeside Village

It is all of our responsibility to be as green and eco-friendly as we possibly can and there are so many ways that we can do this. At Lakeside Village we increased our recycling by 33 percent in 2017 and are looking at ways to further improve our green credentials this year. Working closely with all of our stores to get even better at recycling meant that we saw rates increase from 59 percent to 79 percent. Some 300 tonnes of waste was recycled last year including cardboard, soft plastic, coat hangers, glass, metal and paper. This is something we can all do more of in our own homes. We’ve also worked with our food outlets to make sure that food waste was recycled and sent off to be turned into renewable energy and nutrient rich bio fertiliser for local farmers. We all have a responsibly for the environment and working together we can reduce our waste and our impact on our local surroundings.

* If you would like to get involved in the DFP weekly Voices forum, submit 150 words, name, title & photo to barbara.craythorn@jpress.co.uk and your views may appear next week when the timely subject, approaching April 23 St George’s Day. Are we too patriotic or not patriotic enough?